Wednesday, November 20, 2013"Stand Your Ground" bill passes in House committeeSupporters say Ohio's "Stand Your Ground" bill is not like the laws on the books in some other states, like Florida for exampleby WKSU's STATEHOUSE CORRESPONDENT JO INGLES

ReporterJo Ingles

An Ohio House committee has passed a bill that would create a version of the “Stand Your Ground” law in Ohio. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles reports it would it would also recognize concealed carry licenses issued by some other states.

The bill that’s passed the Ohio House committee is controversial. The Buckeye Firearms Association’s Ken Hansen says this bill will make it easier for Ohioans to defend themselves. But he says this bill would not be like the Stand your Ground laws on the books in some other states, like Florida for example.

“So for instance, here in Ohio, the defendant has the burden to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that they were acting in self-defense," Hansen said. "In Florida and these other states, the state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they weren’t acting in self-defense so we are trying to differentiate the label because when they use the label, they think Ohio is doing what these other states are doing and Ohio is still going to be vastly different. We are going to be in the minority of one still that the defendant still has to prove it.”

But Democratic State Representative Alicia Reece says this bill is not needed.

“The current law is the right law to have," Reece said. "I think it’s tough enough. But I also think it’s not a law that allows someone to follow an innocent African American teenager then gun them down and say “I stood my ground.” That’s what people are concerned about and that’s what we don’t need here in the state of Ohio.”

The bill would also allow Ohio to recognize concealed carry permits from other states that recognize Ohio’s permits.